When compared to those who have never wed, both sexes experience weight gain in the two years after both marriage and divorce.

However, the scale of this weight gain differs, depending on sex. Professor Zhenchao Qian, who worked on the study, offered up this explanation for why this may be, noting, “Married women often have a larger role around the house than men do, and they may have less time to exercise and stay fit than similar unmarried women.”

He added, “On the other hand, studies show that married men get a health benefit from marriage, and they lose that benefit once they get divorced, which may lead to their weight gain.”